Practice Compassion

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.


-The Dalai Lama

Help Me To Remember

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Oh, God, when I have food,

help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work, help me

to remember the jobless;

When I have a warm home,

help me to remember the homelesss;

When I am without pain,

help me to remember those who suffer;

And remembering, help me

to destroy my complacency

and bestir my compassion.

Make me concerned enough

to help, by word and deed,

those who cry out

for what we take for granted.

- Samuel F. Pugh

I asked a young woman waiting in the long line of cars on Washington Street, What's happening this morning?

She said, "We're in line for Christmas food from the Salvation Army food pantry."
"Christmas food?" I said.
"Yeah," she said.
There must've been fifty cars.
"Okay, well, take care and Merry Christmas!" I said.
"You too!" she said.


I still have a lump in my throat.

How about this?

For every sweater, gadget, or I-tunes card we gift to someone this season, let's gift a can (or two) of food to a local food pantry. 

Thinking Of You

The Art of Letter-Writing has been lost in this modern age of email, twitter, texting. But for me, there's nothing quite as sweet as finding a card (not a bill!) addressed to me in my mailbox. Mom used to send newspaper clippings, a funny New Yorker cartoon, a recipe with a short note with love you xoxo Mom. My brother, Rob, keeps a stack of blank postcards on his desk for which I am often the lucky recipient. Hi B, Thinking of you. Sail on! Love, R. 

A note doesn't have to be complicated or long; thinking of you can change a day. So, during this holiday season why not send a card to a soldier? Your simple thinking of you could make somebody's day, or maybe even change a life...

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue

NW Washington, DC 20307-5001